Missoni's collection took inspiration from ethnic robes and traditional African textiles. Raf Simons' collection at Jil Sander was inspired by Studio 54 disco fashion. Frida Giannini's successful Gucci collection was inspired by Guy Bourdin's 1970s photographs.

1. 160
PRADA:FERNANDOBENGOeCHEA/BEATEWORKS/CORBIS;WALTDISNEYPICTURES/EVERETTCOLLECTION;MARYEVANS/RONALDGRANT/EVERETTCOLLECTION;FAIRCHILDARCHIVE.MISSONI:RONWOLFSON/WIREIMAGE/GETTYIMAGES;EVERETTCOLLECTION;JACOBSILBERBERG/GETTY
IMAGES;FAIRCHILDARCHIVE.JILSANDER:JESSICAL./FLICKR/GETTYIMAGES;THEARTARCHIVE/MUSEODELPRADOMADRID/GIANNIDAGLI/ORTI;CONDENASTARCHIVE;MARIAVALENTINO.LOUISVUITTON:GIOVANNIGASTEL;COURTESYOFFONDAZIONEPITTIDISCOVERY;CORBIS;
FAIRCHILDARCHIVE.GUCCI:BETTMAN/CORBIS;ANSONSMART;ESTATEOFGUYBOURDIN/ART+COMMERCE;FAIRCHILDARCHIVE.ALTUZARRA:MICHAELROBERTS/MACONOCHIEPHOTOGRAPHY;COURTESYOFEMI;JAMESDEVANEY/WIREIMAGE/GETTYIMAGES;FAIRCHILDARCHIVE.
CELINE:VICTORDEVASARELY/ARS/ERICHLESSING/ARTRESOURCE,NY;PAULH.KUIPER/CORBIS;FAIRCHILDARCHIVE(2).DRIESVANNOTEN:COURTESYOFBERGDORFGOODMAN;COURTESYOFSOTHEBY’S;THETRUSTEESOFTHEBRITISHMUSEUM/ARTRESOURCE,NY;FAIRCHILDARCHIVE.
The inspiration equationWhat were the references behind this season’s most memorable collections?
Armand Limnander offers a few highly subjective interpretations.
Boy George circa
“Karma Chameleon.” The Flying Nun.
Missoni’s ethnic robes.
Traditional
African textiles.
Baroque monkeys
and cherubs.
Carmen Miranda.
The fox in Disney’s The
Fox and the Hound.
Miuccia Prada’s bananas but utterly brilliant tropical experiment.
A scoop
of sorbet.
Spanish infantas.
1999 Vogue cover of
supermodels wearing
singlets and ballskirts.
Raf Simons’s ultracool take on eveningwear at Jil Sander.
Studio 54
disco dollies.
Colorful
Marrakech
interiors.
Guy Bourdin’s Seventies
photographs.
Frida Giannini’s excess success at Gucci.
Michael Roberts’s
cutout illustrations.
The Azzedine Alaïa
dresses in Robert
Palmer’s “Simply
Irresistible” video. Elvira, Mistress
of the Dark.
Joseph Altuzarra’s aggressively sexy neo-vixens.
Nineties Helmut Lang.
Ottoman tile work. Sixties op art.
Phoebe Philo’s ultrahip take on relaxed elegance for Céline.
Krizia metallics.
Walter Albini’s
house in Venice.
Thirties French
Concession
Shanghai.
Louis Vuitton’s camp oriental ode.
Jef Verheyen’s art.
Qianlong period
Chinese ceramics.
Dries Van Noten’s spring awakening.
Vintage Leonard
prints.